Hi everyone,

I can’t believe that it is April already! Where did the school year go?

This month we are preparing for the State PTA Convention which will be on April 30-May 3. Its success requires many local people working together. Our local PTAs will be judged by the caliber and number of volunteers from our area. So please, if you can spare some time, come and help. Please encourage others to help, even for one day. You will be glad you came and helped. You’ll see the strength in numbers that makes PTA such a great grass roots organization. PTA volunteers from all over the Bay Area will be there to help as people in PTAs from all over the state and even some from other states, come together to celebrate the gains made by PTA and the challenges yet to come.

We recently learned that the Borel Middle School Jazz Band from San Mateo has been invited to perform at the State PTA Convention! (They also were invited to play at the Monterey Jazz Festival, so you know that they are good!) This is exciting news since the brother of Douglas Bell (our 17th District Webmaster) is lead trumpet in the band. They will be playing prior to the beginning of the First General Meeting on Thursday afternoon, April 30 (starting at around 3 p.m.) which also happens to be the day that the events are FREE. If you’ve never seen this Borel Middle School band of seventh and eighth graders play, you are in for a treat.

On May 16 we will be having our Spotlight on PTA Training for new and returning PTA officers and committee chairs. Training is important to ensure that everything runs smoothly. We have many experienced people ready to share their knowledge. The depth of knowledge, skills, and abilities is what makes a great PTA. Even if you’ve been to training before, there is always something more to learn. It is important for your new PTA board and other PTA volunteers to understand PTA and what makes it such a strong organization.

You’ll notice an article in the April Seventeena that discusses alcohol and PTAs. Every year we hear about problems with events that involve alcohol.

Alcohol is a powerful drug and while it is legal to serve if rules are followed, events with alcohol must be handled carefully. PTA does NOT have a license to sell alcohol. Each PTA needs to understand that their board is NOT covered by insurance, and could be held personally responsible, if laws, rules, and insurance coverage requirements are not followed. Alcohol use is inconsistent with the mission and vision for PTA. Please consider its use at PTA events wisely.

I’d also like to call your attention to the 17th District PTA bylaws changes which need to be posted for 30 days and then will need to be voted on at the May meeting. Any changes to your local bylaws have the same requirement.

–Deborah Kemper, 17th District President